Paint cans or other containers having swingable wire handles may be hung from ladder rungs or other supports by means of a hook or loop which is formed as an integral part of the handle. Such an arrangement, while making it unnecessary for a person to carry the container by hand, does have the following drawbacks:
1) It is not always convenient to set up a ladder or support in close proximity to an area in which one wants to paint. (For example, the required painting may need to be done in a confined area.)
2) Many containers do not have handles, and hence cannot be readily hung from a support. Another method for supporting such cans is required.
Many attempts have been made to overcome these problems using various devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,781 relates to an adjustable sleeve of polypropylene web which is looped about a swingable handle of a conventional paint can. A user's thumb is then inserted into the sleeve while the fingers and the palm of the same hand are used to support the can. The user's thumb may then be used to steady the can by pulling on the handle. Alternatively, a rigid double-ended hook with one end adapted to be hooked around a swingable handle of a paint can and a second end adapted to be hooked around a user's thumb may be used in place of an adjustable loop. However, these devices have two major problems that have yet to be overcome:
1) Neither the sleeve nor the double-ended hook is readily applicable to paint cans without handles.
2) Neither the sleeve nor the double-ended hook fits snugly around the user's thumb, making it possible for the user's thumb to accidentally become disengaged from the device.